The present invention is in the field of furniture. Specifically, the invention relates to dynamic furniture items that have interchangeable panels to lend decorative quality, utility, or other characteristics to the furniture items.
The appearance, character, and utility of specific rooms in homes and business locations are often greatly dependent on the furnishings. Furniture items are generally static elements that dictate how a room is perceived and used by the occupants. Generally, these furniture items are decorated with multiple effects (pictures, vases, trays, etc.) to achieve a desired theme or purpose. However, the furniture items themselves are largely unchangeable and cannot themselves be personalized without permanent alteration. For example, a dining table could not depict “Merry Christmas” on the table-top without some sort of permanent carving or painting; a headboard could not be decorated with “Sleep Tight” without implementing a lasting modification; and a coffee table could not secure a tray against sliding off the table-top after a bump or knock without some sort of scoring or other enduring adjustment. Consequently, if such changes are made, the owner has no ability to alter or undo them, limiting the potential to both display a variety of aesthetic designs and utilize the furniture piece in an alternative fashion.
There have been a number different attempts in the art to achieve some level of variety in furniture decoration and utility. U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,031A teaches the use of removable decorative panels to display different advertisements and/or game boards on a table. These panels can be slid in and out over the table top by removing a molding around the edge of the table, or alternatively, the panels can be adhered to the surface of the table top using double-sided tape. Additionally, special lock pins requiring special tools for manipulation can be used to secure the panels against unauthorized exchange. The '031A patent is limited, however, in that the whole table top must be cleared off before exchanging the panel; the panel lies over the table top to display the advertisement, and replacing it is impossible without first cleaning off the table. Additionally, the '031A patent contemplates only one panel per table, limiting the variety of what can be displayed on the table at any given time. This patent also does not provide for interchangeability of the decorative panel from a table to any other piece of furniture; panels are limited to being displayed only on the table top.
Another attempt in the art to lend variety to the aesthetic quality of a given furniture piece is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,722,123B2. This patent discloses the use of removable panels to decorate both a stool and a table. While the '123B2 patent provides for the use of a plurality of panels to change the aesthetic value, the panels are limited to the given furniture item; panels for stools remain with stools, and panels for tables remain with tables. The patent does not provide for interchangeability of panels from one furniture item to another. Additionally, the panels contemplated by the '123B2 patent are solely for aesthetic purposes and have no utility quality.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,707A teaches a different design for a table wherein the table top is composed of multiple panels that can vary in both composition and decorative value. The entire table top is a series of panels, some of which can in the form of recessed boxes allowing for the display of plants, ash trays, or art objects. While the '707A patent contemplates the use of multiple panels in a single table, it does not provide for the interchangeability of panels between multiple furniture pieces. Additionally, excepting the recessed box panel, no other utility elements are proposed as possible panels. The table of the '707A patent is limited to providing decorative panels or boxes for display.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for dynamic furniture items that are easily adaptable to interchangeably display aesthetic designs or advertising material, or to securely exhibit useful elements such as trays, bowls, or game boards. These furniture items could be designed in sets, such that one interchangeable panel from one furniture item can be removed and subsequently displayed by another furniture item of the same set. Certain embodiments of the furniture items should allow for facile removal of the panels simultaneously with continued use of the items, unlike in the '031A patent; for example, if the furniture item were a table, the panels should be removable without requiring the entire table top to be cleared off and without requiring the added effort of removing side molding or double-sided tape.